Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc., is proud to announce the opening of the 31st Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition, a juried show featuring works of nearly 100 artists and craftspeople who live or work in Emeryville. The Exhibition is on display October 7 through October 29, 2017, open daily from 11 am to 6 pm, and admission is free. The annual exhibition is held at a different location each year – generously donated by a local Emeryville business. The 2017 Exhibition site has yet to be announced. For exact location log on to: www.emeryarts.org or call 510/652-6122.

There will be a gala public reception with the artists in attendance on Friday, October 6, from 6 pm to 9 pm, with live music by The doRiaN Mode: Vintage Jazz & Blues. A no-host bar will raise funds for the Emeryville Youth Art Program.

The East Bay enclave of Emeryville, well known for its active arts community, was recently designated by the California Arts Council as one of 14 districts that will serve as premier state-designated Cultural Districts, highlighting thriving cultural diversity and unique artistic identities within local communities across California.

“Emeryville, for its size, has an amazing number of creative thinkers and makers, many publically known and even more working behind the scenes in support of artistic and cultural endeavors” offered Sharon Wilchar, Exhibition Coordinator. “As the non-profit partner to the City of Emeryville Rotten City Cultural Arts District, Emeryville Celebration of the Arts has been an anchor in developing an active, engaged arts community over the last three decades. With this new District designation, we all look forward to enhancing and deepening this community, to bringing us closer to the reality of a Cultural Arts Center in our city, to developing more artist live/work spaces, and to broadening our supportive environment for creative businesses.”

The Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition serves as a celebration of the city’s thriving collective creativity and an invitation for community members and visitors to experience a sampling of artwork created by Emeryville artists. Each year a panel of Bay Area art professionals is invited into private studios and art spaces to select the pieces for the annual exhibition. The result is a carefully curated group show featuring the works of nearly 100 artists and craftspeople that live or work in Emeryville. The exhibition is open to artists of all media and includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, ceramics, textiles, furniture, jewelry, glass works, and performance. Now in its 31st year, the exhibition continues to uncover emerging talent, along with new work by established artists. Most works on display in the exhibition are available for purchase.

Independent curator and exhibition designer Kathleen Hanna is curator and juror for the 31st Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition. Ms. Hanna brings a deep knowledge of Bay Area arts and fine craft. “I have been guiding jurors for the Emeryville Celebration of the Arts through artists' studios for six years and the exclamation that never fails to be uttered is ‘I had no idea’ and they are absolutely right,” stated Hanna. “This tiny enclave in the middle of the East Bay must have more accomplished artists per square foot than any other village in California and this exhibition provides the opportunity to collectively celebrate these artists and their work."

Veteran art consultant Shelley Barry and Oakland gallerist Danielle Fox created SLATE ART in 2013 and now have an art gallery in downtown Oakland, SLATE contemporary, as well as SLATE Art Consulting that runs rotating exhibitions in corporate spaces and provides curatorial services to businesses and individuals. Danielle Fox said her experience as a juror for the Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition was eye opening. “The experience opened my eyes to the number of artists working in Emeryville ranging from emerging to very professional,” said Fox. “It was also a great way to be exposed to many Emeryville neighborhoods I had never been to. There were treasures to be found in the oddest places! It is very clear that this exhibition means a lot to the community.”

"The Emeryville artist community is truly a Bay Area gem,” added fellow juror Shelley Barry. "From the quirky, artistic and whimsical art studios that we visited, to the reviewing of all the incredible works of art submitted by both professional and novice artists, it was special experience and I was honored to be a juror for the 2017 Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition."

Juror Elizabeth Shypertt founded and ran Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco for 22 years beginning in 1991. During the time she was involved with the gallery she curated and/or organized more than 80 jewelry and contemporary craft exhibitions. She is now an independent curator and brings her years of expertise to the 2017 jury. “It was a privilege to serve on the jury for this year’s annual art exhibition. I saw wonderful work with the added bonus of getting to meet the artists and see their workspaces,” said Shypertt. “It was such an interesting experience and has resulted in a fascinating collection of diverse works.”

The mission of the non-profit Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc. is to foster an appreciation for the arts and artists of Emeryville, and to promote the city as a culturally vital and progressive center for living and working. The Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition continues to support this mission by providing a free public venue, open to all, to experience the rich diversity of artistic expression of those who live and work within the city of Emeryville.